Arkansas church holds active shooter training

Gaines Street Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark. on Sunday was the center of an active shooter training drill. Officer Henry Moore of the Little Rock Police Department led the congregation through real-life scenarios and instructed members on the correct response if similar situations arose. The church’s senior pastor, J. Barrington Minix Sr., said the training was an unfortunate necessity, while many church members said they hoped they would never have to use what they’d learned.

Why was the training held? Recent high-profile church shootings have spotlighted the need for security and awareness. These incidents include the 2017 shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs in Texas, which killed 26 people. Also, a 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church killed nine people. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. Protestant pastors surveyed have an intentional plan for an active shooter situation, according to a survey by Lifeway Research. Among those surveyed, 54 percent of pastors said armed church members are a part of that plan.

Dig deeper: Read Adam M. Carrington’s column in WORLD Opinions on the anniversary of the Birmingham church bombing.